One Last Breath
by asthiathien
Summary: An AU tale which takes place in the Farewell to Yamato universe, and begins immediately after Wildstar/Kodai destroys the computer core. However, here, the story of Farewell is not an end, but a beginning. The first installment of the Farewell trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Wildstar walked slowly through the halls of Desslok's flagship, his gun drawn. An explosion shook the ship, likely an aftereffect from the explosion in the control room. A second, more powerful blast sent him to his knees.

"Sandor, what was that?"

"Looks like the fire is spreading to the engine. We should get out of here in case the entire ship blows."

"Roger," Wildstar replied. "I'm heading out."

However, he had no intention of leaving. He had come too far to leave now. He would make Desslok pay for all the lives he had destroyed.

* * *

The same explosions that Wildstar had felt were even more pronounced on the bridge of the flagship. Mere moments ago, there had been three people on the bridge; now only one still lived.

Desslok pressed his right hand into the floor, wincing in pain.

"Talan?" he whispered weakly. No response was forthcoming, but that was unsurprising. The odds that he could be heard by anyone were not favorable.

He slowly pushed himself to his feet, surveying the half-destroyed bridge. A form lay buried beneath rubble, one he recognized as General Talan.

"I am all that as left of the great Gamilon," Desslok murmured.

"Desslok!"

He lifted his head, looking up at Wildstar. The young captain's weapon was trained on him, ready to fire at any moment. "I have been waiting for you, little boy from Yamato," Desslok said quietly.

Wildstar walked towards him, his eyes bright and powerful. "In the last battle, you were fighting for your planet," he said suspiciously. "What is your purpose for this battle?"

"_Yamato_ is a great ship. Captain Avatar was a great commander. But humiliation burnt deeply within me. Destroying _Yamato_ became my only reason for living. And now you have become my archenemy." He paused, resisting the urge to cry out in pain. "And a worthy enemy you've become."

An explosion shook the bridge, sending bright fire blazing up nearby. Wildstar narrowed his eyes. Both of them knew that they had to leave quickly.

"Draw your weapon, Desslok."

Desslok lifted his right hand from his side to point at Wildstar. His vision was already blurring, keeping him from telling when the _Yamato's_ captain would fire. Behind him, he thought he saw Starsha walking up, concern written over her pale features.

"Shoot, Wildstar!"

Wildstar raised his gun to eye level, directly at him. Yet he still held back.

"Hurry up and fire!"

He raised his hand to point his weapon at Wildstar, unable to keep his hand from shaking. Across the bridge, Wildstar narrowed his eyes. He had seen it.  
_Let him._

Desslok's weapon fell from his hand, clattering to the ground. Wildstar looked up at him, shock etched over his face. "You've beaten me, Wildstar," he whispered hoarsely. Desslok collapsed, only managing to keep himself from falling back completely.

"Desslok!" Wildstar shouted, followed by the sound of running feet. Gentle hands touched his arm, and he opened his eyes to see Nova leaning over him. He gently brushed her away, looking up at Wildstar, who stood frozen in the center of the room.

"All I wanted was the restoration of Gamilon and revenge on Yamato. Even if it meant being under the hire of the White Comet. . . and bearing the humiliation that went with it. But I'm content. . . I fought well. . ."

Desslok hesitated, holding back the pain that threatened to consume him.

". . . My battles have come to an end."

"Leader Desslok," Wildstar said sadly. It was the first time Wildstar had called him by that title, an indication of respect. One warrior acknowledging another.

Wildstar moved towards him, acceptance in his gaze. Willing to be a friend to him, here and now, when nothing in the past mattered.

A pile of rubble shifted, revealing the barrel of a gun. And a face, twisted with pain and anger. But the weapon was pointed at Wildstar.

Nova leaped to her feet. She'd seen him too. And she refused to let Wildstar be injured.

Desslok could only watch as she shoved Wildstar away, taking his place in the line of fire.

* * *

Time stood still.

Wildstar looked up at Nova, who was moving too slowly. Too slowly to avoid the shot from the unidentified enemy in the corner of the room.

_Please_, he begged anyone who might be listening. _Let her avoid the shot. Let her survive._

Why was it he was trapped in this still universe? Why did he have to think of a thousand ways to save her, only be incapable of movement?

All he could do was will Nova to move, to be able to leap away.

Suddenly, she fell to the side, shoved out of the way by someone else. The shot soared over her shoulder and hit the one behind her.

Desslok, Leader of Gamilon, fell to the ground, his eyes closing for what Wildstar believed to be the last time.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Nova ran to Desslok's side, tears streaming freely down her face. She had been in the path of the shot. She had been prepared to die. But then Desslok had pushed her away, and taken the blast himself.

She gently lifted his head, and his eyes opened ever so slightly. "Why?" she demanded. "No one would have blamed you if you hadn't."

Desslok's breath rasped in his throat as he whispered, "I have failed, but you have not. Not yet. You can still fight against the Comet Empire. I. . . I owe you that chance, in return for what I have done to you."

Fresh tears gathered in Nova's eyes. "You will not die," she hissed ferociously. "I forbid it."

Shots came from behind them, and Nova glanced around to see Wildstar and the Comet Empire officer exchanging blasts. As she watched, the officer yanked a communicator off the wall and spoke rapidly into it.

"What's he saying?" Nova yelled.

"Reinforcements," Desslok responded quietly. She turned to look at him.

"What?"

"He's calling for reinforcements," Desslok repeated. "There are Comet Empire soldiers on this ship, apparently."

"We need some, too," Nova hissed. "Wildstar! I need your comlink!"

He tossed it towards her, and Nova flipped to Sandor, the most recent transmission. Immediately, his voice crackled from the device.

"Wildstar, where are you? The ship's exploding!"

"Sandor, shut up!"

"Nova? What is going on?"

Nova sighed. "Long story. Just send us some help here, and I'll explain everything later."

"Where _are_ you?"

Nova hit her head with her hand. "Right. Desslok's bridge."

"_What?_"

"Just send the Marines, now!"

"Wildstar!" Desslok called out. "They're coming!"

"Bit busy!" Wildstar shouted from behind a large piece of ceiling. Desslok sighed and leveled his weapon at the ceiling. Wildstar leaped out from behind it, glaring at him. "What are you-"

The officer popped out behind him, eyes focused on Wildstar. A single blast from Desslok's gun struck him in the chest, and he toppled backwards.

"-doing," Wildstar finished awkwardly.

"There will be more," Desslok said calmly.

"Great," Wildstar muttered.

"The good news," Nova said, "is that Knox is on his way, along with a full complement of Space Marines."

Wildstar cocked his gun. "So all we have to do is hold out until they get here."

Nova pulled out her weapon and leveled it at the doorway. "That's the general idea."

A blast streaked past Wildstar's head, hitting the control panel behind him. Nova fired instinctively, and was rewarded by a sharp cry from the hallway. "I actually hit someone?" she shouted in disbelief.

Another shot zinged past her ear, sending up sparks from the debris she huddled against.

"Yes," Desslok told her, "and if you keep shouting out like that, you'll know what it's like to be on the receiving end of one."

Nova sighed. _I'm not meant for constant fighting._

Beside her, Wildstar let loose several shots which struck the forms hiding in the hallway. The Comet Empire troops retaliated, the blasts shimmering around them. Wildstar leaped to the side and rolled, coming to a stop behind a pile of rubble near the other side.

The ground shook violently, heralding the momentary destruction. The soldiers must have figured out what was happening, because they suddenly charged forward in a single attack. Nova opened fire, and could partially see Wildstar following suit. Several soldiers flattened themselves against the wall, attempting a flanking maneuver. She was about to fire at them when a dozen more crashed through the door, shooting at them. Nova winced as a shot grazed her shoulder.

Behind her, several shots rang out, and she spun around. The soldiers from earlier _had_ done a flanking maneuver and were attacking from behind. Suddenly, a blast struck the lead soldier, and they scattered. Two more went down as they scrambled for cover. Nova looked at Desslok in shock. "Why are you helping us?" she hissed.

Desslok turned towards her, and she realized that she had never seen his eyes closely before. She had thought they were black, but now she could see a ring of dark blue. "Because, like it or not, you have shown me kindness, and I repay my debts."

Nova smiled. "So we're allies now?"

Desslok considered this for a moment. "I suppose."

Nova cocked her gun as, beside her, Desslok followed suit. "An allegiance between Earth and Gamilon, against the Gatlantis demons."

Desslok smiled. "And all who oppose us shall know our wrath."

"GUYS!" Wildstar yelled from by the door as he gunned down several more soldiers. "Shoot first, wrath later!"

Nova nodded and crouched down behind a pile of rubble. A bulkhead exploded, and a group of Cometines poured through the jagged hole. Two weapons discharged, ripping through the head attackers, but more leaped through. Nova yanked a rifle from the grip of a fallen enemy, aiming it at the others and triggering the rapid-fire mode. Light blazed between her and the far wall, felling yet more of her opponents.  
Suddenly, multiple blasts of fire slammed into the Cometine ranks from another flank. Nova looked up to see the Marines charging into the fray, their weapons blazing with terrible lightning.

The soldiers yelled something, and, though she couldn't understand Cometine, Nova guessed it was either "Retreat!" or whatever constituted as profanity for them.

Knox sent off two final warning shots down the corridor after them, then turned around, wiping his brow. "Okay, who had the gatling gun?"

"That would be her," Desslok said, gesturing to Nova.

Knox nodded approvingly. "Nice, Nova. I regret ever calling you a-_Desslok?_"

"Excuse me," Desslok said, aiming his gun down the hallway. A shot sounded, and a Cometine soldier screeched in pain at the far end of the tunnel. Desslok glanced down the hall, then turned back to Knox. "We can talk now."

"I thought you were allied with them," Sandor said as he walked up.

"'Were' being the key part of that sentence." He nodded at Sandor. "That reflecting shield of yours was ingenious."

Sandor gave him a funny look. "You mean the one that nearly killed you?"

"Remember, I am the one who sent you congratulations when you thwarted my strategies."

Sandor nodded. "Are you allied with us now, or what?"

"If that little conversation they just had was any indication," Wildstar interjected, walking up behind Sandor, "oh, yes."

"It was NOT!" Nova shouted, feeling her cheeks going hot.

"What part of 'an alliance between Earth and Gamilon, against the Gatlantis demons' is not a declaration of friendliness?"

"Firstly," Desslok snapped, "it was an 'allegiance', not an 'alliance'. And secondly, we have a major problem."

"If you think it's a 'major problem', then it would probably make the rest of us pee our pants," Wildstar said nervously. "What exactly is a major problem?"

Desslok crossed over to the partially intact radar panel. "Oh, nothing much. Just the stragglers from the engagement at Saturn-Titan. They probably are checking up on me." He paused, smiling sadistically. "Be quiet for a moment, Earthlings."

"Earthlings?" Knox said indignantly. "Why, you-" He closed his mouth quickly as Nova and Wildstar both glared at him.

Desslok flipped a switch, and the crackle of interspace communication permeated the bridge.

"Desslok?"

"I'm here," Desslok said, addressing who Nova realized was the commander of the enemy forces.

"What happened? We're reading massive damage to Gamilstadt's reactor and computer core."

"The Star Force's signature," Desslok said nonchalantly. "And Miru, being the idiot he was, refused to allow me to fire upon them until the explosion would have caused the destruction of my ship as well as theirs."

The enemy commander chuckled. "I can imagine what happened to him after that. The destruction of the computer core would have taken out the androids,correct?"

"Precisely. Anything you could offer in terms of ground forces would be greatly appreciated."

"Sending over three squads now. I wish you luck in your quest for vengeance."

Desslok terminated the connection, and Knox immediately yelled, "You double-crossing _snake_! You've signed our death warrants!"

"Can none of you see past the surface?" Desslok snapped, pain showing in his voice. "This flagship has a self-destruct mechanism that can be controlled remotely. If the rest of that fleet gets within the danger range, I can blow it to atoms and make disposing of Zordar that much easier."

"Why do you want to kill Zordar?" Wildstar asked curiously. "What's he ever done to you?"

"To be perfectly honest, I couldn't care less either way. Now, if you'd like to be useful, you could help the Marines barricade the entrances."

"What good'll that do?" Knox demanded. "Well, if you'd prefer to have a platoon of Cometines charging at you again, that can be arranged," Desslok shot back. "Nova, use that console to begin activating the remote detonation sequence. You can read Gamilon, correct?"

"Of course," Nova said. "But why can't you do it?"

"I would be slightly busy reactivating those androids through the secondary computer core."

"You have two computer cores?" Sandor demanded.

Desslok sighed. "Yes, I have two computer cores. One was going to be destroyed eventually. When fighting against you, one requires a backup plan for any eventuality or they are begging to be killed." He flipped a switch on the console, and the engine roared to life.

"You restored it," Sandor said, suitably impressed.

"Only temporarily. The self-destruct mechanism utilizes power from the engine. The reactor should last just long enough to complete the detonation sequence."

"Forgive me for interrupting the convention," Knox said, "but how do we get out?"

Desslok absentmindedly snapped his fingers, and a section of bulkhead slid into the wall, revealing a narrow tunnel.

"Okay," one of the Marines said, "that's pretty impressive."

"Done," Nova said as she lifted a small cylinder from inside the console. It shimmered as she touched it, casting dappled emerald light over the walls.

Desslok keyed in a passcode and strode over to the opening. "That should provide enough time to evacuate the explosion radius." He glanced over at Sandor. "You should probably tell the _Yamato_ to clear the area. We will be leaving by another route."

Sandor nodded and sent a message as he and the others followed Desslok down the tunnel, which ended in a small hangar which housed only one vessel.

"I'm not one for fighters," Nova said softly, "but. . . whoa. Just whoa."

The fighter resembled an eagle poised for flight. Sleek lines edged the creature's wings, and the craft was painted black, but with a dark green sheen. Nova could not find the weapons, but she knew that only meant they were that much more deadly.

"Yeah, it's pretty sweet," Knox interjected, "but how are we all going to fit?"

"It doubles as a troop carrier," Desslok said casually as he flung open the door.

The Marines promptly scampered aboard, likely so they could get off this flagship as fast as possible. Nova managed to get on in time to see Desslok entering the cockpit.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed. "You're injured! You can't pilot a fighter in your condition!"

"If you know how to fly a Gamilon fighter, be my guest," Desslok shot back.

Nova buckled herself into the copilot's chair. "Fine, but I'm staying right here in case you collapse on us."

"_What?_" Knox screamed from the troop carrier section of the fighter.

He screamed again as the sleek fighter shot forward and rocketed out of the flagship.

"Hold on," Desslok said dryly as the fighter banked and roared past the departing _Yamato._

"You're a bit late for that!" Knox snarled angrily.

"If you didn't like that, you most certainly will not enjoy this," Desslok said as he spun the fighter and flew it right at the enemy fleet.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Conroy's fighter roared down the _Yamato's_ landing dock and out into open space. Already that accursed Cometine fleet had launched several fighters at the Yamato, who was in no condition to deal with their deck planes after Desslok's attack.

"Alright, men, standard procedure," Conroy snapped. "Make a defensive screen and keep 'em away from the _Yamato_!"

"Conroy!" Hardy yelled over the intercom. "Radar's pickin' up ah anomaly!"

"On it," Conroy snapped, swinging his fighter in the direction of the blip Hardy had reported. As he got within visual contact, his eyes widened. "What the-! We've got a Gamilon fighter out here!"

Suddenly, his radio crackled, and a young voice said crisply, "Earth fighter, report!"

"**_Nova_**?"

"Oh, Conroy!"

"Ma'am, with all due respect, what are you doing in a Gamilon fightercraft?"

"Explain later," Nova said sharply. "Is the _Yamato_ out of range yet?"

A loud yell suddenly came over the connection. Conroy looked up to see that the Gamilon fighter had just executed a complex maneuver which somehow left several carriers smoking in its wake.

"Is Wildstar flying that thing?" Conroy shouted. "Because that seems like just the sort of suicidal thing he'd do!"

"No, that was me," said another voice. "Although, I am flattered that you mistake my flying for Wildstar's."

Conroy swallowed hard. "You're letting _Desslok_ fly a fighter you're sitting in? Are you _mad?_"

"Nova, kindly turn off the communications to the back of this fighter," Desslok said calmly.

"Why?"

"I would rather not be deafened by the Space Marines you brought along. Oh, and Conroy, you may wish to tell your forces to get clear. They might get caught in the crossfire."

"What crossfire?"

His jaw dropped as the Gamilon fighter spun around in a maneuver that would have shattered the hull of any Earth craft and sliced into the enemy lines, so the Cometine's desperate fire merely struck their comrades as the Gamilon ship twisted between innumerable beams of light. Those craft who had not been destroyed in the initial holocaust broke off to pursue the twirling fighter.

This was a mistake. The path soon led them across the hulls of the Cometine destroyers and battleships as they fired in the vain hope that they might gain a lucky shot upon the single craft that fought like an entire fleet. All the reward they received was the dubious one of shooting down their own pilots, which became a double-edged sword as many of the craft tumbled into the selfsame warships that had wrought their destruction.

Conroy, staring at the chaos-no, this was more than chaos, this was devastation-realized that the Gamilon fighter had come alongside his.

"_That_ crossfire," Desslok said dryly in his headset. "_Nakil'ska, jelr shunjila_."

A mere moment later, he heard a small click, and then the Gamilon flagship exploded in a shining flash of red and gold that also absorbed the Cometines in its blinding radiance. Almost of its own volition, his arm crept up in a salute to the souls he knew were still on the ship as it had met its end. In the same spirit, a tribute to the fallen, he heard a single soft whisper, "_Tankil, aethir miana hiatu centuri_."

* * *

Conroy soared through the hangar bay of the Yamato and came to a screeching halt on the runway. He had just leaped from the cockpit when the Gamilon fighter soared into the hangar and barely missed slicing off a wingtip on Conroy's fighter.

He let out a long sigh and ran over to the fighter. As he reached the side, a door slammed open and the Space Marines ran out, rather panicked.

"If you fools could get out of my hangar bay," Conroy snapped, "that would be just wonderful."

Knox scowled at him. "Yeah, fighter jock? You don't order us around."

"This is my flight deck, so either you'll get your muddy boots off it or I'll report you to Wildstar. Which will it be, _marine_?"

"No fighter jock orders a Space Marine around and gets away with it!"

Conroy balled up his fists. He didn't especially want this to come to a fight, but he'd defend himself if it came to that.

"Could you save your idiotic Terran quarrels for later, if you don't mind?"

Everyone else looked up, but Conroy didn't. He knew of only one person who would use the term "Terran" who would be on this flight bay. . .

"Desslok?" Hardy shouted.

Yep, it was him. Joy.

"Maybe if we could get the Marines out of my flight bay, there wouldn't have to be a 'Terran quarrel'," Conroy said.

Desslok sighed and turned to Nova. "Has anyone told you there is simply far too much testosterone on this ship?"

"You're contributing to that total too," Conroy said. "Unless there's something you haven't told us?"

"Testosterone is an Earthling thing, thankfully."

"Why, you-" Knox yelled.

"Knox! Not helping!"

Knox yelled and charged, throwing a punch in the same motion. Desslok mostly sidestepped, but Knox struck a glancing blow to his shoulder. Desslok let out a hiss of pain and staggered, only kept from falling by Nova, who gently supported him.

"I didn't hit him that hard," Knox said nervously.

"You idiot," Nova hissed, and then said, "No, not you, Knox. You just hit him on his injured shoulder."

Knox eyes widened in surprise, and he said, "Injured? How?"

"I got _shot_, that's how," Desslok snapped.

"Huh," Conroy said. "Seems _blood_ isn't a Terran thing."

Conroy suddenly found himself lying flat on his back, ears ringing.

"Wow," Wildstar said dryly, looking over Nova's shoulder at him, "I had no idea you could knock someone out with a backhand."

"I am not knocked out," Conroy said, struggling to his feet.

"You were," Knox said, snickering.

"Enough!" Nova yelled. "People, get out of the way! Tend to your fighters or whatever it is you do!"

"Huh?"

"I suspect she is going to escort me to the infirmary or the Terran equivalent," Desslok said softly as they watched Nova yelling at a random Ensign.

Conroy glanced over at him. "Will you please stop with the 'Terran' thing? Believe me, we all know you're not human."

Wildstar snickered at that, just as Nova ran up. She glared at him angrily and snapped, "Now, just what is so amusing, _sir_?"

Wildstar shot a look at Conroy and said, "Nothing which is related to you."

"Good. Then you can help me with a certain Gamilon over here."

"With all due respect, ma'am," Conroy said, "judging by that backhand, I'd say he doesn't need much helping."

Nova rolled her eyes. "He's better at dealing with it than most, but, believe me, Conroy, he is injured."

Desslok gave her an almost bored look, and Nova let out an exasperated sigh. "And don't bother with that. It's not as bad as some looks I've gotten, but I can still see right through it."

"Intriguing."

"Knox!" Conroy yelled. "Stop messing with my fighter!"

"I'm a certified pilot!" the burly Marine shouted back. "I just wanna compare our flying skills."

"I thought you hated fighter jocks," Nova said with a fair amount of anger.

"A Space Marine flying a plane is still a Space Marine!"

Conroy heard a sharp, deadly click and glanced over his shoulder to see Desslok calmly pointing his weapon directly at them.

"He's not going to shoot," Knox said nervously.

"Would you like to try me, _Sergeant_?" Desslok said with deadly calm.

"Yeah, maybe I would!"

Conroy swallowed hard. "Knox, you do not threaten someone who has a gun pointed at you."

"Just because you think so doesn't mean it's true, _pilot_! You're just scared!"

"And so should you. If you keep charging headfirst into battle, you'll be killed sooner rather than later."

"Then I'll die with honor!"

"That's the easy way out. If you really want to prove your courage, it's by accepting there's times you have to think rather than act."

"Give me that!"

Knox and Conroy both jumped, having completely forgotten there were other people in the room besides the two of them. Conroy looked over in time to see Wildstar taking the gun from Desslok ("Are you mad? You could've killed someone!") and firing it into the air.

Absolutely nothing happened.

"That, Wildstar," Desslok said dryly as he plucked the gun from Derek's hand and holstered it, "was me turning the safety _on_." He turned with a sharp snap of his cape and walked back towards Nova.

Wildstar walked over to Conroy, shaking his head as they stared after him.

"He's crazy," Knox said flatly.

"Crazy he most certainly is, but he also resolved the matter of Space Marines and Black Tigers," Wildstar reminded them. "Peaceably, and using that word to refer to_ him_ is something I'd never thought I'd do."

"Well," Conroy said casually, "he's just told us something very important. To never take anything he says as at face value."

Knox nodded and turned to Wildstar, a wicked grin on his face. "And now you get to explain to Captain Hijikata why we've just granted asylum to his sworn enemy."

"_Great._"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"So that's your justification?" Hijikata demanded, glaring at him.

"Yes, Captain," Wildstar said as he stood at attention. "I allied myself with him because I thought it was the best course of action and because I knew of his strategical skill. I thought that if we would let him assist us as we fight the Comet Empire, it would be easier to defeat them. And also, he was allied with them, which means he likely knows things about them that we don't."

"And you trusted him enough to genuinely help us?" Hijikata's eyes were like steel. "Remember, Wildstar, he could have just easily killed you. He used a weapon against us in the flight bay!"

"Sir, if I may make a contribution," Knox said, "he was calling our bluffs. He used our expectations against us to force me and Conroy to settle our differences. If I had called his bluff, he wouldn't have shot me."

"Which, for all we know, might be him trying to mess with us to make us trust him before he destroys the ship," the gray-haired Captain said angrily.

"I doubt it," Wildstar said. "Sir, he's probably crazy, I'll admit that, but he's not suicidal. I see no reason why he would destroy the ship just to kill us."

"And if this is Desslok we're talking about here," Venture broke in, "I think he's purposely trying to mess with our heads. We should keep an eye on him but focus upon saving Earth."

Wildstar turned to give him an annoyed look, and Venture gave him a little shrug as if to say, _Hey, I'm trying to come up with a compromise here_. He sighed and turned back to talk to Hijikata when the door slid open and Nova walked in.

She held up her hands and said, "Before any of you ask, yes, he's fine."

"What do you mean, 'he's fine'?" Hijikata demanded. "Miss Forrester, am I correct in assuming you gave him medical treatment?"

Nova paused in the middle of the bridge and turned to give him a look of steel. "Are you suggesting, _Captain_," she snapped, "that I am to _not help him_? _Salus aegroti suprema lex_, Captain!" she shouted, making the bridge crew jump. "That is a violation of medical ethics, and I will not be a part of that!" Nova spun around and headed to her post, everyone else staring at her as she sat down and began to type out something.

Hijikata looked rather abashed as he said, "Yes. . . well. . . but still, he's our enemy!"

"Nova bested you, admit it," Desslok said dryly, and Wildstar spun around to see him leaning against the doorway.

"Will you ever," Conroy said, "not do that?"

"What would I gain by that, Conroy?" Desslok asked, smirking.

"This is too weird," Dash said. "I mean, an hour ago you were trying to kill us and now. . ."

"Would you prefer it if I laughed maniacally?" Desslok said sarcastically.

Dash shuddered.

"In either case," he continued, turning to address the rest of the crew, "the Comet Empire is advancing on Earth. If you intend to save the planet once again, you will need to attack them, and quickly."

"How do you know they're attacking?" Hijikata said with more than a hint of suspicion in his words.

"Because Zordar informed me himself."

"And how did you get Zordar to talk to you?" Knox said, scratching his head. "Because there is definitely something missing here."

"Indeed. Zordar informed me because I convinced him I have convinced you that I am allied with you when I am actually working to assist him to kill you."

"So you admit it!" the _Yamato_'s Captain shouted.

Desslok sighed. "If you were properly listening, you would notice that I said I told him I convinced you that I was allied with you. Clearly, that hasn't happened."

"But you could be telling us that to make us think you're allied with us when you're actually working with him and only telling us all that to lull us into a false sense of security," Sandor said. "_And_ you could be using our suspicion to make us think we know what you're doing when you're really counting on us to suspect you to make sure the plan goes properly. Along with manipulating both us and Zordar so we end up killing each other when you come in with an armada to destroy the winner while we're weakened and conquer Earth."

"I like the way you think."

Sandor blinked. "You mean, you actually understood that?"

"I've used more complicated plans."

"How. . . you know, asking you for an explanation is like asking for a free headache."

"Then I'll try to explain the next part with less complex reasoning, since it's rather important you actually understand it."

"No, I don't trust you," Hijikata said. "Knox, escort him to the brig while we plan our attack on the Comet Empire."

Knox scowled. "I don't know, Captain. I don't want him to point his gun at me with the safety on again."

Homer tilted his head to one side. "I think I'm missing something here."

"Forget it," Hijikata snapped as the crew chuckled. "Sandor, put up an image of the Comet Empire on the screen."

Sandor flipped several switches, and a cross-section of the ship appeared across the screen.

"You say it was completely protected when the fleet's Wave Motion Guns fired on it?" Eager said.

Sandor nodded. "Even the _Andromeda_'s Disperser Beam Cannon was unable to destroy it."

"Well, of course," Desslok said softly.

Wildstar looked over at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"That's meant to be a shield," he said, stepping into the center of the bridge. "If something hits it, it is destroyed. That was the entire reason they constructed it. However, it has a weak point."

"Which is?" Conroy asked.

"Sandor, bring up a forward view of the Comet." Sandor nodded and rotated the image so the White Comet was facing them. "There, the exact center of the Vortex."

Wildstar snapped his fingers. "And the reason why the _Andromeda_ couldn't destroy it is because they didn't hit it head on."

"Hang on," Venture said. "But to hit it at that spot, you'd have to be right in front of it!"

Desslok nodded. "One of the risks, yes."

"But we could get sucked up by it when we're charging!" Dash shouted.

"Do you have a better plan?"

Dash scowled. Everyone else looked up at the screen, trying to think of another option to defeat them and coming up with nothing.

"We're wasting time," Nova said. "If we wait much longer to come up with a plan, Earth is going to be destroyed before we can even attack!"

* * *

"Commander," the radar officer snapped, "no sign of the _Yamato_."

"I bet those mutineers went and deserted us," Stone said angrily.

"General Stone," Singleton said, raising his hand, "the Star Force would never do such a thing. I trust them, and Hijikata."

_But where are they?_ he thought as he looked at the empty screen. _I hope they didn't fall at Saturn with the Andromeda, but if they didn't. . . then where are_ _they?_

"Commander!" another voice shouted. "White Comet detected! They're passing Moon orbit!"

"They're stopping!"

The huge screen at the front of the room shimmered and changed to an image of the glowing white comet that painted Earth's skies a terrifying white.

"Message coming in from the enemy!"

"On screen," Singleton ordered. An image of a tall, green-skinned man in a blue uniform appeared on the screen.

"Zordar, the almighty Emperor of Gatlantis," he said in his cruel voice, "orders you to choose between surrender or annihilation! Decide within one Earth hour or we _will_ attack."

"I don't need to consult with-" Singleton snapped, but the transmission had already cut off. He turned away as Stone began to berate him and looked up towards the sky. _Yamato__, where are you?_

"Warp signature!" a voice yelled. "It's the _Yamato_!"

* * *

"Energy charge, 90%!" Orion shouted.

"Target acquired!" Sandor yelled.

"100%!"

The comet began to spin as it moved forward to crush the _Yamato_ before they could attack.

"The gravitational forces are moving us off target!" a voice shouted from the secondary Mechanical station. Royster turned toward Venture and shouted, "You'll have to correct for it!"

"110%!"

"How?"

"Move us up three degrees and tilt to port two point six degrees!"

"120%!"

"Target corrected for gravitational forces!" Wildstar shouted as he looked through the targeting scope. "Ten seconds to firing! Prepare anti-flash defenses!"

"Remove safety lock!" Orion called.

A sharp clunk rang through the bridge as the lock was pulled back.

"It's all in your hands, now," Hijikata said as he pulled on his goggles.

Wildstar nodded and tightened his grip on the trigger. _Five, four, three, two, one. . ._

"_Fire_!" he shouted as he pulled the trigger.

A beam of pale blue lightning roared out into open space, striking the Comet directly in the center of the spiral core. Explosions rippled across it as it began to blow apart.

"Venture, get us out of here!" Wildstar yelled.

"Negative!" Desslok shouted. "Take us in!"

"Desslok-!"

He got his answer a moment later as a dark shape began to appear at the center of the explosion. Wildstar stared in shock at it and then turned to his former enemy. Framed by the exploding plasma sheath of what he now realized was a gigantic war machine, he seemed almost like some sort of angel of death.

"This, Wildstar," Desslok said as the Comet Empire rose up before them in all its deadly might, "is where the _real_ battle begins!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Wait a second!" Dash yelled, leaping to his feet angrily. "Why didn't you tell us about the fact that there's a giant city-ship inside the Comet field?"

"I told you it was a shield. _You_ were a bit busy not trusting me to ask what, exactly, it was _shielding_."

"More to the point," Royster said, astonishingly cavalier about all this, "his plan needs us to mistrust him to work properly, remember?"

"No, _I_ think what's more to the point is that there's a big honkin' city-ship out there that needs to be kicked back to Andromeda," Knox snapped.

Desslok gave him an odd look. "How do you know the Cometines are from the Andromeda Galaxy?"

Knox blinked, suddenly looking very worried.

"It takes someone special to be more worried about their supposed psychic abilities than the fact that there is a city-ship we have to fight," Nova said.

"It's called the Gatlantis," Desslok informed her. "And before you ask why, the constant usage of the term 'city-ship' was beginning to annoy me."

"You must have faced quite a bit on the voyage to Iscandar if you are making sarcastic comments at each other instead of being worried about the city-ship," Hijikata said with a modicum of approval.

"What did I _just_ say?"

"You have no idea," Wildstar said with a small sigh, and then reluctantly turned back towards the Comet Empire. "So, Desslok, what do we do?"

His former enemy gave him a look of disgust. "Just because I am the only one who knows anything about this beyond 'it's a gigantic warship trying to attack Earth _again_' is no excuse to make me think up every single attack plan."

"Yeah, but who cares?"

"I imagine Singleton will not be overly pleased with you."

"Right!" Wildstar said, leaning forwards. "So, attacking the Comet Empire."

"I recommend tilting the ship slightly to avoid that missile they just launched at us."

Venture obliged, and Wildstar gave Desslok a dirty look. "I thought you said you were disgusted with my failure to think up a strategy."

"Self-preservation instincts, you know," he said calmly, proceeding to do his best Dumbledore impression. "Contrary to popular belief, I am not willing to entrust my life to the tactical wisdom of-"

"If you end that sentence with 'Terrans'," Knox growled, "I am going to personally strangle you."

"I was considering it," Desslok shot back, "but my first option was 'Derek Wildstar'."

"Oh, who is?"

"Excuse me!" Wildstar yelled, turning to glare at Knox. "I was the one who came up with the 'small warp' idea!"

"Technically, that was a joint effort with Sandor," Nova reminded him. "And, as you recall, it almost got me killed, so forgive me if I'm not all that happy about it."

"I would have killed you anyway."

"And you wonder why no one trusts you?" Eager asked.

"Someone would have brought it up, and I never wondered why. I think it's self-explanatory."

"_Anyway_!" Nova yelled. "People! Strategy!"

"We could wave-gun it," Dash suggested.

"Well, of course _you_ would say that, Mister 'Let's just blow up a planet that will mess up the gravitational equilibrium of the solar system'!" Eager shouted.

"Pardon me for interrupting," Venture said sarcastically, "but the reason I haven't been taking part in this amazingly illuminating conversation is that I have been slightly busy _avoiding missiles_! We won't have_ time_ to charge up the Wave Motion Gun!"

"That's plan A for everything foiled," Wildstar said unhappily. "So, now what do we do? Board it?"

"Is that your only two strategies?" Desslok demanded, looking more than a little affronted. "Wave-Motion Gun and landing party?"

"There's the one where I blast everything with the main guns until it dies."

"I am fairly certain you cannot kill inanimate objects."

"Says the guy who went all Inspector Javert on me because I blew up his planet. Although, I might, too. . ."

"Would it be too much to ask for you to focus?" Hijikata said in a voice that was more resigned then truly annoyed.

"Given the content of the last conversation they had, I'm thinking no," Homer said.

"Boarding party it is, then," Sandor said. "Royster, would it be too much to ask for you to go fetch me the portable energy-plant detector I made last Wednesday for just such an occasion?"

Royster wordlessly took it out of his back pocket and handed it to him.

"Note to self: talk to the Mechanical group as soon as possible," Desslok said dryly.

* * *

Privately, Wildstar thought this head-on attack against the Comet Empire was suicide, and that was saying something.

"Tell me again this is going to work?"

Desslok sighed from his fighter. "Human foolishness. Why, pray tell, does repeating the same statement automatically ensure its truthfulness?"

"Will he _never_ stop with the 'Terran' thing?" Knox said in a tone more resigned than annoyed.

"You need to _ask_ that question?" Sandor muttered behind him, and Wildstar bit his lip to keep from laughing.

Knox suddenly swore loudly in his ear as they roared past the lip of the Cometine fortress and towards the rocky underbelly.

"I quite agree with that sentiment!" Hardy yelled as an antiaircraft cannon emerged from a crater and began taking potshots at him.

"Is that all?" Wildstar said into his mic. _Those AA emplacements are impressive, but to a seasoned veteran, it shouldn't be such an issue. . ._

"You know, I wouldn't mock the fact that you are of Earthling descent if _you_ _used your head for once in your lifetime_!" Desslok snapped at him. "You have a radar system, in case you have forgotten!"

He glanced down, resisting the urge to whack himself on the forehead because he already knew firsthand how painful that was in a helmet. A large squadron of fighters was blasting towards them, already opening fire on their flanks. How, exactly, had he not noticed this?

"I take it," Sandor said from behind, "you factored the fact of their possession of fighter squadrons into your plans and withheld that information to ensure we reacted believably in order to reveal the location of their fighter bay to the _Yamato's_ gunnery crews?"

"You, Stephen, are the one Earthling who uses their head in a crisis. Congratulations."

Wildstar gave him an odd look. "Stephen, eh?"

"Shut up."

* * *

_If I survive this,_ Royster thought, _I am **never** going to be afraid of floating chunks of space rock ever again._

Right now, though, he was far to busy to ponder how he would achieve his newfound goal of overcoming his fear of asteroids. Namely, because he was inventing several new targeting calculations in his best attempt to figure out just where, exactly, the Cometines stashed their nigh-unlimited store of flying machines.

"Question: why can't you just tell us where the thing is?"

"Being the person Zordar trusts most isn't saying much. Sometimes I suspect the man is more paranoid than I am."

"Why couldn't you just say he didn't tell you and leave it at that?" Venture snapped back. He suspected the annoyance in his voice came more from the general state of things than any anger with Desslok.

There was a pause, most likely because the Gamilon Leader was struggling to keep from calling Venture an idiotic Earthling. "Because I knew you would require an _explanation_."

"It's irrelevant anyway," Royster said as the calculations finished and he sent the data over to Hijikata, who, as it turned out, had been quite the crack shot in his youth. The grizzled Captain nodded and said grimly, "Dash, tell your crews to prepare to fire."

The Artillery chief nodded and barked orders down to the crewmembers stationed in the guns. This ship had been the last among the EDF who still relied on humans for targeting, despite tremendous pressure from the superiors (save perhaps the Commander) to follow the footsteps of their mechanical marvels.

_Fools_, he thought. _The Yamato is the forefront of human innovation, not anything the Council can think up._

"Fire!" Hijikata barked, throwing him from his thoughts. He gripped the armrests of Sandor's chair as the blue energy streaked through the battleground and hit its mark, blowing the protective rock shield over the bay to pieces.

"You guys are clear!" Nova shouted to the fighter squadrons and shuttles that comprised the last of Earth's resistance.

_Come on, guys. You can do it._

* * *

This was his terrain. Not the emptiness of space, nor the chaos of fighter battles.

This, right here. Open ground. Where the targets to aim at were the soldiers and the smaller gun emplacements. And where you lifted your weapons yourself, with your own muscles, not machinery.

This was where he excelled.

Knox leaped to avoid the shots sent his way by the Cometines at the far side of the landing strip. The Gamilon fighter hadn't yet stopped moving when he had jumped out. If the gunners weren't distracted, they would tear the fighters to pieces before they even got the chance to make landfall. They needed another target to hit.

Luckily, 'Professional Cannon Fodder' was one of his Marines' mottoes. Although it was also immediately succeeded by 'And Taking Out More Enemies Than The People You Were Supposed To Be Sacrificing Yourself For.'

He swung his rifle around and hit one of the guys dangling from the ceiling. Apparently, his fellows didn't like that much, because they promptly began breaking his former record of how many shots got fired at him in less than thirty seconds.

Knox smiled at that. "Playing right into my hands, are we?" he whispered as he and Corporal Kane began systematically assisting the Comet Empire with their layoff issues. "Andromeda must be completely helpless if you guys managed to conquer it at all. Remind me never to visit. After this little escapade, there's likely to be a major price on my head."

More fighters landed nearby, the majority being Tigers but a scattering of Cometines amongst them. He proceeded to shoot out the tires of one of them, sending it skidding into one of its comrades.

"Knox!" Wildstar shouted as he leaped from his fighter and performed a rolling dive during which he managed to squeeze off several shots at the Cometines.

"Way to show us up," he grumbled.

"Calm down. He missed every shot."

Knox nodded at Desslok, who somehow looked fully composed even in the middle of what was rapidly becoming a battle to rival Telezart's. "I presume you won't have the same problem."

Desslok calmly fired off several shots in quick succession that put at least three emplacements out of commission. "Not in the least." He looked over at Wildstar, who was ordering Conroy to do something in fighter lingo. "Resident hero, have your forces split off in three attack lines to take out the energy centers."

_That_ was unexpected. "Centers?" he asked nervously.

Desslok nodded. "I did say Zordar is paranoid to an extent that rivals me, correct?"

"Well, yeah, but I wasn't expecting this!"

"Few people do. That's the point."

"Where do we go?" Kane demanded.

"I sent you the coordinates during the dogfight."

Conroy looked faintly annoyed. "Can you stop being so prepared? It's starting to make me feel like an pawn in your chess match with Zordar."

Desslok actually seemed surprised by that. "My apologies for leading you to believe in your impotency."

Conroy shrugged and gestured at his pilots to follow him as he ran off. Kane did the same as he dashed away, leaving about half the pilots, Hardy in charge, holding off the gunners.

Knox turned to him. "Now what?"

Desslok gave him his trademark evil smirk. "Now, we destroy the energy center."

* * *

Venture never thought he would be glad of the Gamilon attacks on their way to Iscandar. Now, with Eager and Nova yelling out trajectories and the Cometines firing every weapons known to man (or aliens?) at them, he was very grateful they had taught him how to properly maneuver in such a tight space with the damage the old ship incurred by the second interfering with the _Yamato_'s steering abilities.

"Yamazaki, what's going on down there!" Orion shouted into his intercom. "Power's dropping and if it goes unchecked, it'll cut our speed!"

"Sorry, Chief!" a gruff voice called back. "But the port engine took a blow from the attacks and it messed with the main one, too!"

Venture felt his heart sink. He knew something had to be wrong when that missile had hit them amidships. . .

"Damage?"

"The port one's completely out and the WME is losing it!"

Venture had heard enough. Desperately, he turned to look over at Hijikata and shouted, "Captain, what do we-"

He never got to finish the sentence. A missile launch from a hidden compartment disguised as one of the towers struck the _Yamato_ right behind the Third Bridge, directly below the massive bulk of the Wave-Motion Engine. With a hideous screech, the engine cut out altogether.

The _Yamato_, smoke trailing from its engine ports, fell from the stellar sky and crashed directly on top of the Cometine fortress.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"No!" a voice yelled in the background of the EDF Headquarters.

Commander Singleton had the distinct sense he would be equally furious and heartbroken in a few moments, once he got over his numb shock.

He was tempted to tell the radar operator to run a diagnostic (as the mechanical substitute for eye-rubbing), but he doubted it would help much. A visual like that was hard to pass off as a glitch, as much as he wanted to.

"Commander?" Stone said helplessly from behind him.

Singleton turned to look at him. Anything to keep from looking at the garish image of the _Yamato, _spewing smoke and fire, resting atop the Cometine citadel.

"So that's it," he whispered softly. "Our hope is lost, then."

The government leaders and military personnel turned to look at him before bowing their heads.

* * *

Wildstar groaned in pain as he opened his eyes. The hallway was badly damaged from - what?

"Everybody okay?" he said, pushing himself to his feet.

"Did we activate a booby trap?" Knox asked from off to his left.

"As far as I know, there aren't any rigged explosives," Desslok said from where he was leaning against the wall.

"Dash probably did something stupid with the guns," Wildstar said, shrugging.

"Not likely. This area is one of the most heavily guarded in the entire ship. The impact would have had to be incredi-"

They looked at each other for a few seconds, before Sandor yanked out his communicator and yelled into it, "Royster! Royster!"

The only response was a crackle of static.

* * *

Royster winced as the despairing transmission from Sandor crackled over his headset. Unfortunately, he was a bit too busy to answer it.

He blasted off another three shots from behind his console, ignoring the pain that lanced through his arm from a lucky shot.

"Captain!" he yelled, spotting the black hat and firing at the Cometines clustered around him. Hijikata brought down the rest and ran over to him.

"Royster," he said, and then noticed his injury. "You're hurt."

Royster smiled slightly. "I think it will be quite some time before we can get any medical treatment."

Hijikata nodded simply and took over the sentry duty as Royster answered Sandor's communication. "Chief, I'm here. What's the big issue?"

"Did the _Yamato _crash?"

"Yeah."

His headset pinged as another person tried to call him. "One sec, Chief." He flipped over to the other channel. "Mechanical station, Neville Royster."

"Royster!" Conroy shouted on the other end. "Can you call up Sandor and tell him we've blasted the other two centers and ask what we should do?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sandor, Conroy says the other centers are kaput. My readings back that up."

"Great. Can you tell him-"

"Call him yourself! I'm not your secretary!"

Chuckles, likely from a certain Gamilon.

Royster sighed and flicked the channel back to Conroy. "Sandor says to meet him at the other center." He flipped back to Sandor and said, "I told him to meet you there."

"Thanks. Good luck."

He nodded and terminated the connection. "All right, people, as of now we've got a rendezvous to keep at the final energy center!"

* * *

Sandor switched off his communicator and tucked it back in his pocket. "Well, then."

"We should probably get to the energy center," Knox said, shouldering his pack. "If he arranged a rendezvous there, we don't want to be late."

"Yeah-"

"Wildstar!" Desslok shouted as he shoved him to the ground. A shot barely missed his right shoulder as he hit the deck.

"Thanks," he whispered right before the Cometines attacked.

A soldier who seemed to leap from nowhere snatched up his weapon. Wildstar kicked the rifle out of his hand and grabbed the Astro-automatic just in time to shoot down another soldier who was sneaking up on him.

_Just like the Titan fight all over again_, he thought as two more attacked. One shot came dangerously close to his head as he hit the deck and fired on the two. One went down, but the other took a glancing blow on the shoulder and wisely decided to abandon the assault. Wildstar took the brief respite as a chance to survey the battlefield, noticing instantly that they were outnumbered approximately three to one.

_It's your own fault for sending everybody not needed to defend the fighters on a different squad,_ he thought. Across the corridor, a hidden wall rose up and another group of ten more soldiers charged into the fight. Four of them detached to attack him, weapons blazing.

Wildstar squeezed off three shots before ducking behind a collapsed section of wall as the two remaining fired at him. He attempted to fire back at the Cometines, only to be driven back when a shot grazed the back of his hand. Despite their offensive thus far, this couldn't go on much longer without the Cometines eventually finding a hole in their defenses. And they knew it; they had cut off any hope of retreat for that exact reason.

However, that door had given him an idea, if he could only pull it off. . .

Wildstar glanced back over his shoulder, trying to commit the path to memory, and then looked around for a suitable distraction. A light was ensconced in the ceiling more-or-less above his head, the protective covering shattered from impact.

Perfect.

He shielded his eyes with one hand as the other pointed his weapon toward the light and fired.

It broke instantly, plunging them into blackness.

Immediately, Wildstar leaped to his feet and ran towards where he fervently hoped the door was.

And crashed right into the wall.

_I am so happy the light's busted, because if Desslok saw that, he would **never** let it go_, Wildstar thought as he felt along the wall for the door. A few feet away, his hand met the edge of the doorway and he pulled himself into it just as the emergency lighting kicked in.

In the red lighting, Wildstar noticed the back of his hand had been sliced open by a sharp piece of glass. He ignored it, turning to look back into the corridor.

Not far away, Knox met his eyes and nodded before punching a nearby soldier right in the face. Disregarding the rest of the half-blinded Comet Empire troops, he dashed to the door and flung himself down beside Wildstar. "Now what?"

Wildstar's eyes flicked across the corridor, unable to locate any familiar faces. He was about to sound a retreat when a hand covered his mouth.

"Not one of your best ideas, Wildstar. I disabled the cameras, but any microphones will still be operable."

Wildstar rolled his eyes as Desslok stepped back, but his curiosity quickly overcame annoyance. "How'd you manage to pull that one off?"

"The time-honored art of shooting them," he replied, amusement showing in his eyes. "Next time, would you be so kind as to notify me next time you decide to destroy the illumination?"

"I'll send a memo."

Desslok rolled his eyes and got to his feet. "This way, insane human."

* * *

Nova let out an exhausted sigh as the final Cometine soldier fell. "Guys, you can come out now," she muttered as she dropped the Astro-automatic on the radar console. "Coast is clear, and all that."

The bridge crew slowly clambered out of whatever hiding places they had ensconced themselves in.

"Well, now what?" Venture said as he checked over the helm controls.

"Are the mechanisms damaged?" Hijikata said as Royster, of all people, helped him to his feet. The past day-had it really only been a day?-had really made her rethink her opinion of that guy.

"I don't think so," Venture replied, jiggling the main steering slightly. "Just out of power, right?"

Orion nodded. "Give my crew twenty minutes to repair the engine, and we can be off this rock."

"Twenty minutes?" Hijikata said disbelievingly. "A job like that would take everyone else in the fleet at _least_ a day and half!"

"This is _Yamato,_" Orion said simply. "She's been there for us, and when she needs a hand, we'll be there for her. We rely on each other. That's what the Star Force is."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Knox jogged down the hallway, keeping a tight grip on his combat rifle. A grenade sat in his left hand, ready to be armed if the need arose. A pack of of explosives sat on his back, bouncing up and down in time with his movement.

Something like that might have caused a lesser warrior at least a small measure of disquiet. But he was Sergeant Knox of the Brumis Space Marines, and all the thought he gave to the pack was of the amount of extra momentum it would give him while tearing through enemy ranks.

Floodlights in the ceilings snapped on, meant to blind them to keep them from firing.

A truly evil smile split his features as he sent the grenade flying, followed by blue sprays of light as their comrades opened fire behind them. The Cometines retaliated with bursts of pale orange that peppered the area around them, a few coming close to shooting him down.

But the thing about a squad of only four people was that they were ridiculously hard to hit unless you were incredibly lucky, incredibly skilled, or had them completely surrounded. They were sorely lacking in the latter two, although all bets were off on the first.

_It's anyone's game now, my friends_, Knox thought grimly. _And you're powerful, and experienced, but __**we**__ are __**Earthlings**__._

Knox rolled against the wall, which was sloped upwards ever so slightly to prevent someone from hiding in the corner. He glanced up at the gun emplacement above him, mentally judging the distance.

Perfect.

He leaped upwards, slamming into the Cometine soldier with all the force of three hundred pounds of muscle and high-powered explosives in flight. The soldier fell from the seat, which he neatly fell into with a grace that was only partially planned.

He settled himself in the seat in time to see the doors open and a solid wall of Comet Empire guards charge into the fray_._

* * *

_Okay, this is just ridiculous, _Sandor thought irritably. _Not without merit, and I'm quite flattered to see us getting this much attention, but still! How many soldiers can you send against four people? More importantly, how many soldiers can four people actually __**defeat**__?_

A squad rushed him, trying to to surround him, and he shot down the one closest to the wall and darted through the gap before it closed. He pressed himself up against the wall, fighting to keep his footing on the slope, and shot down the others with a well-timed burst.

Sandor was of the opinion that that should have bought him at least a few minutes to plan a course of action, but almost immediately more soldiers leaped out at him, weapons blazing.

He didn't entirely know what had happened after that, although he did know that he was shot in the right shoulder by the only Cometine he'd seen with glasses, and that it had to be one of the most intense moments of Star Force history. He had just shot down a rather tall soldier when he realized there were a lot more gunshots going off than there should have been, and looked around to figure out why.

And then his mouth fell open in utter shock.

_What?_

_What?!_

_WHAT!?_

_Royster? Wha-?_

But it was undeniably Royster-no one else had that exact stereotypical nerd look to him.

And if it _was_ Royster. . . they all really needed to rethink their opinions of that kid.

Because Royster was right in the thick of things, fighting just as many people as everybody else, and probably more than pretty much everybody.

As if on cue, he stepped from the melee, looked Sandor up and down, and said dryly, "Right shoulder, left shoulder. Together, we've got a complete set."

"That was. . . impressive," he said, trying to think of something else to say (preferably along the lines of '_When did you change so much?_') and failing miserably.

Royster snorted. "Yeah, I don't think anybody expected that little move. I suppose people weren't expecting me to have a backbone."

"It's not like that-"

"Yes, it is. I don't mind. Not your fault. Besides, it was you who taught me how to grow one."

Sandor smiled. "You have a good heart, Royster."

* * *

Conroy turned the corner at a fast jog as skidded to a halt in the doorway of the vast room. It looked like it had been specifically designed for an ambush point, one of a couple more they had run into over the course of their little trek through the bowels of the ship.

But what had really made him stop was the sheer amount of people in the entire room. Almost the entire crew appeared to be crammed in the area, each of them sporting some sort of injury.

_How many people must they have been fighting to have so many injuries?_

However, that realization was quickly squashed by a much more startling one:

_Hang on, were all those soldiers deployed against just **four**** people**?_

"Look out below!"

Five seconds later, Knox landed in front of him with a rather loud crash as the mass of the explosives slammed into the ground.

"Smooth."

"Shut up," Knox hissed, but with no real venom in it. He accepted Conroy's outstretched hand with a slight nod of thanks and pulled himself to his feet.

"Next time, can you try doing that without dislocating my arm?"

Knox chuckled as Conroy rubbed his shoulder and walked deeper into the room. The instant his foot crossed the threshold, the floor shook with the sound of a distant explosion.

"I didn't do it!"

"Brilliant, Conroy," Royster said wryly, walking up with a rather disoriented-looking Sandor in tow. "Subtle, too."

Conroy punched him in the arm.

"Ow."

"Wait," Knox said suddenly, turning away from them to scan the crowd. "Where the heck is Wildstar?"

The three of them exchanged looks, obvious instantly that none of them knew where he was.

"I haven't seen Desslok here, either," Sandor said in a very quiet voice, sounding extremely worried.

The foursome looked between each other once again before turning and running for the exit at full speed.

* * *

Wildstar, meanwhile, had absolutely no idea where he was, except for the fact he was _somewhere_ in this huge mess of tunnels that was the Comet Empire's city-ship. It was kind of pitiful that he had fully lost his bearings just from being pulled down a few unfamiliar tunnels.

His captors stopped and turned to him. One of them said something to the others, who immediately dropped him on his head.

"Hey!" he blurted before he could stop himself. Someone laughed.

"Very funny, Earthling."

The one who had spoken yanked their helmet off and regarded him coldly with dark eyes set in an olive-that is, olive _green_-face. He looked fairly pudgy for someone who had just been sent into the field.

"And who are you?" Wildstar said as he got to his feet. His head hurt from both the lucky whack from the rifle and being dropped, but he wasn't about to let them know that. "You don't seem paranoid enough for Zordar. If you were, you'd never have taken off your helmet."

"_Prince_ Zordar to you, Terran."

"I fail to see why being called a prince is better than no title at all." Sheesh, he was sounding like Desslok.

The officer fixed him with a sharp glare. "I am General Dyre, you impudent fool, although it doesn't seem as if it matters since you will be dead soon anyway."

"Exactly my point. If it doesn't matter, why would you tell me?" Was this how Desslok had felt when sending them tips on how to improve their fighting ability back in 2199?

Dyre let out a little snarl of irritation and gestured to his aides. They lifted their weapons to point at him.

Wildstar gently wrapped his hand around a small combat knife strapped to the side of his leg. He would still die, but he could at least take out the general first. . .

The lights flickered.

In that instant, two people attacked at once.

Bolts of light suddenly skipped through the corridor as he switched targets and threw his knife at the soldier holding his weapon instead. It hit him in the shoulder, forcing him to drop the sidearm to the ground. Wildstar quickly snatched it up and turned just in time to fire a parting shot at Dyre as he fled around the corner.

"Coward!" he yelled after him. "Come back and fight!"

The other guards took that as their cue to counterattack and rushed him, almost hitting him. His unknown aide felled several more for him, and he let the last few run off.

For a moment, the corridor was silent, before Desslok stepped from the shadows.

"Why am I not surprised."

"How many do you owe me now? Five?"

"I lost count."

Desslok rolled his eyes, muttering an annoyed "Terrans" under his breath. For some bizarre reason, he actually seemed to consider the insult as an endearment now. Which was just weird.

"Now what?"

The Gamilon Leader looked as if he was about to respond when a shockwave hit, severely upsetting his balance. Desslok, however, simply fell.

Ignoring the still-shaking ground, Wildstar quickly ran across to him. "Hey, you okay?"

"Fine," Desslok said with his usual nonchalance, but he noticed the way his hand was pressed up against his side as if it pained him. the impact must have reopened his injury.

"No, you're really not."

"I do not believe I am in mortal peril at the moment, Wildstar."

Wildstar sighed inwardly and moved back to allow him to stand. He managed to get to his feet, and leaned against the wall, but now he noticed the way he was carefully bracing himself with his right hand, as if he would fall over if the bulkhead wasn't there.

Footsteps sounded in the corridor, and Knox, Conroy, Royster, Nova, and Sandor ran around the bend with a rather put-out Hijikata in tow. As soon as she saw them, Nova sighed in relief.

"Good, you're both alive."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

She rolled her eyes. "I was worried about you, you know."

"No, I actually didn't know."

"That's it, isn't it?"

Everyone turned to look at Sandor, and then to look at what _he_ was looking at.

Wildstar hadn't noticed before, but the hallway terminated in a very dangerous looking walkway suspended across a bottomless pit, surrounded by Cometine snipers.

Knox pulled his pack up a little higher on his shoulders. "Right, then. I'll just dash across and quick set the explosives."

"It's not that simple," Desslok said softly. "The door will seal if it detects any intruders. Whoever goes through there isn't coming back."

There was a brief moment of silence, which Wildstar broke by shaking his head and saying stubbornly, "No."

"No what?" Desslok said blankly, the picture of innocence.

"You intend to be the one who sets the explosives, the one who is trapped on the other side, the one who is left behind!" Wildstar's voice had risen to a shout, and he found that he had paced closer until he was merely a few inches from him. "And I am not going to let you. You're hurt."

"We have no time for this," Desslok said sharply. The fire in his eyes suddenly blazed, sending Wildstar back a few paces. "The shockwaves we felt were the backup generators exploding. We have to go now or lose any chance at defeating them." He turned towards Knox. "The explosives, if you don't mind."

"No."

They all turned to see Hijikata standing there with a resolute look on his face.

"No?" someone said softly.

"You're not setting off the explosives," he said firmly. "Because I will."

* * *

There was a long silence, then.

Finally, Royster broke it by shaking his head. "No, we'll figure some way out of this. We can think of something-"

"No," Hijikata said firmly, but gently, too. "It's like Desslok said, we don't have much time left. Someone has to go right now, and that will be me." He paused, and smiled sadly as he looked at them all. "I have to do this. Out of all of you, I'm the one who least belongs on the _Yamato_."

"But Captain," Knox said, looking as if he was struggling to speak through a knot in his throat, "I'm new, too, that doesn't _mean_ anything-"

Hijikata shook his head. "It's not about how new you are, or how old. Each of you has the spirit of the Star Force. You're a part of that consciousness, and I'm not. I won't ever be. So, out of all of you," he looked up then, blinking away tears of sorrow, "I'm the one who has to do this."

They all looked at him, varied shock and sorrow on the faces. Wildstar felt numb as he looked at Hijikata, the man who he had always disliked because it seemed like he was trying to replace Captain Avatar, and worse, because he didn't _belong_. There was no convincing him not to go. He had to do that.

So he did the only thing he could do. Slowly, he formed a military salute, crisp and precise. Not the Star Force salute, but the traditional salute of the EDF.

"I'm proud to have served alongside you, sir," he said formally.

There was a brief moment before all of them saluted with him, Knox handing over the explosives before joining their ranks. Hijikata smiled sadly as he looked at them, then shouldered the pack and dashed out onto the walkway.

They were stunned briefly before Wildstar and Knox ran to the end of the corridor and started firing furiously at the soldiers. It took only a few seconds until Hijikata was beneath the small awning above the door. The entrance yawned before him, but he turned, looked back once, and then saluted with a hand over his heart.

And then he turned and walked over the threshold, the door sealing itself in his wake.

* * *

Wildstar never exactly remembered the return journey, only the briefest of flashes: Royster, Knox, Conroy, Nova, Sandor, Desslok; the rest of the crew as they realized, the hope giving way to sorrow; Orion, covered with grease, as he welcomed the solemn procession aboard their newly restored ship.

He gazed out the window at the slowly exploding Comet Empire City, the superstructure finally covered with bright amber light as it dissipated into the darkness of space.

And then another shadow rose from the wreckage.

Several people cursed behind him, but he had known this was coming. Desslok had told them about Zordar's escape ship under the guise of a Cometine Dreadnaught. He had also told them that the best they could do was to blow the city and hope the Dreadnaught was injured as well.

And it was, firing only a few parting shots before warping away to one of its secure systems. That was no consolation, though, for while they had been fighting the city-ship the other Cometine forces had been invading Earth. Utterly unprotected, the shining blue planet had fallen easily.

Wildstar let out a long sigh. They no longer had anything with which to fight. It was over.

"As long as we're alive, there's still hope, right?" Royster said softly.

He turned to look at him, wondering what he was thinking. "Yeah. . ."

"What he means is," Nova said, "we still have our lives. We can still fight, and we can still hope. . ." She raised her hand to point at the sun as it peeked around the curve of the Earth.

"For a brighter future."

Silence, once again, but a sort of hopeful silence now.

After a few moments, Royster's eyes widened and he turned to look at something on his console.

"Royster?" Sandor said in slight confusion. "What are you doing?"

The Mechanical officer turned to look at them, a small, evil smile on his face.

"You don't suppose any of those old Gamilon War defenses are still operational, do you?"

**END OF BOOK ONE**


End file.
